Quality of Life Comparison

If you lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina instead of United States, you would:

Health

be 50.6% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 17.9% of people.

live 3.1 years less

In United States, the average life expectancy is 80 years (78 years for men, 82 years for women). In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women).

Economy

spend 74.7% less on taxes

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6%. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the top tax rate is 10.0%.

make 78.7% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $59,500, while in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the GDP per capita is $12,700.

be 4.7 times more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 4.4% of adults are unemployed. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 20.5%.

be 11.9% more likely to be live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, however, that number is 16.9%.

Life

be 21.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 14.0 women per 1,000 births die during labor. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 11.0 women do.

have 29.6% less children

In United States, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are 8.8 babies per 1,000 people.

Expenditures

spend 43.9% less on healthcare

United States spends 17.1% of its total GDP on healthcare. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 9.6% of GDP.

Geography

see 99.9% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, that number is 20 km.

Learn more about Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 51,187 sq km. Bosnia and Herzegovina declared sovereignty in October 1991 and independence from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia and Montenegro - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form a "Greater Serbia." In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement that ended three years of interethnic civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995). The Dayton Peace Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries and created a multi-ethnic and democratic government charged with conducting foreign, diplomatic, and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of government composed of two entities roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/Bosnian Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments are responsible for overseeing most government functions. Additionally, the Dayton Accords established the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. The Peace Implementation Council (PIC) at its conference in Bonn in 1997 also gave the High Representative the authority to impose legislation and remove officials, the so-called "Bonn Powers." An original NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops assembled in 1995 was succeeded over time by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR). In 2004, European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR. Currently EUFOR deploys around 600 troops in theater in a policing capacity.

How big is Bosnia and Herzegovina compared to United States?
See an in-depth size comparison.